A Perpetual Covenant of Peace
1 “Sing, Obarren,
Youwhohave not borne!
Break forth into singing, and cry aloud,
Youwhohave not labored with child!
For morearethe children of the desolate
Than the children of the married woman,” says theLord.
2 “Enlargethe place of your tent,
And let them stretch out the curtains of your dwellings;
Do not spare;
Lengthen your cords,
And strengthen your stakes.
3 For you shall expand to the right and to the left,
# And your descendants willinherit the nations,
And make the desolate cities inhabited.
4 “Donot fear, for you will not be ashamed;
Neither be disgraced, for you will not be put to shame;
For you will forget the shame of your youth,
And will not remember the reproach of your widowhood anymore.
5 For your Makerisyour husband,
TheLordof hostsisHis name;
And your Redeemeristhe Holy One of Israel;
# He is calledthe God of the whole earth.
6 For theLordhas called you
Like a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit,
Like a youthful wife when you were refused,”
Says your God.
7 “Fora mere moment I have forsaken you,
# But with great merciesI will gather you.
8 With a little wrath I hid My face from you for a moment;
# But with everlasting kindness I will have mercy on you,”
Says theLord, your Redeemer.
9 “For thisislike the waters ofNoah to Me;
For as I have sworn
That the waters of Noah would no longer cover the earth,
So have I sworn
# That I would not be angry withyou, nor rebuke you.
10 Forthe mountains shall depart
And the hills be removed,
# But My kindness shall not depart from you,
Nor shall My covenant of peace be removed,”
Says theLord, who has mercy on you.
11 “O you afflicted one,
Tossed with tempest,andnot comforted,
# Behold, I will lay your stones withcolorful gems,
And lay your foundations with sapphires.
12 I will make your pinnacles of rubies,
Your gates of crystal,
And all your walls of precious stones.
13 All your childrenshallbetaught by theLord,
# Andgreatshallbethe peace of your children.
14 In righteousness you shall be established;
You shall be far from oppression, for you shall not fear;
And from terror, for it shall not come near you.
15 Indeed they shall surely assemble,butnot because of Me.
# Whoever assembles against you shallfall for your sake.
16 “Behold, I have created the blacksmith
Who blows the coals in the fire,
Who brings forth an instrument for his work;
And I have created the spoiler to destroy.
17 No weapon formed against you shallprosper,
And every tonguewhichrises against you in judgment
You shall condemn.
Thisisthe heritage of the servants of theLord,
# And their righteousnessisfrom Me,”
Says theLord.